Ant Control Product Contains Banned Pesticide

The issue

Fast Ant Bait is an unregistered pesticide that contains mirex, a potentially harmful chemical prohibited in many countries, including Canada. Mirex degrades very slowly in the environment and may be harmful to human health. Fast Ant Bait was sold through various websites including FastPestControl.com, 2Checkout.com, CCNow.com and eBay.com. The name Shang Jia Ants Clean appears on the package.

Who is affected

Canadians who may have purchased or used Fast Ant Bait.

What consumers should do

Avoid direct contact with Fast Ant Bait.

Consult a physician if you believe you may have suffered symptoms after using the product.

Dispose of any unused product at municipal or provincial hazardous waste disposal facilities.

Additional information for health professionals

Mirex is an organochlorine pesticide. People exposed to high levels of organochlorine pesticides by any route should be observed for disturbances, such as trembling, weakness, coordination problems, slurred speech, altered mental state, and involuntary motor activity that would warn of imminent convulsions. Treat symptomatically.

What Health Canada is doing

Health Canada has worked with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the owners of FastPestControl.com to locate and contact customers in Canada who purchased the product. Health Canada is also following up with FastPestControl.com to prevent any distribution of unregistered pest control products in Canada in the future.

Background

The use of mirex has been prohibited under various international treaties in most countries since the 1970s because it does not easily degrade in the environment. Although the exact effects of mirex on human health are unclear, animal studies have shown that ingesting high levels of mirex can harm the stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, eyes, thyroid, and nervous and reproductive systems.

Pesticides are regulated in Canada under the Pest Control Products Act. The Act requires that each pesticide imported into, sold or used in Canada be registered by Health Canada. Consumers can verify that a product is registered for use in Canada by looking for a Pest Control Product (PCP) number on the label.

Before a pesticide can be registered, Health Canada conducts a detailed scientific evaluation to determine that any risks it may pose to people and the environment are acceptable and that the pesticide is effective for its intended use. Only products that meet this standard are accepted for registration.

Products recalled/affected:

Fast Ant Bait products purchased from FastPestControl.com, 2Checkout.com, CCNow.com or eBay.com. The Fast Ant Bait package is written entirely in Chinese, except for the name Shang Jia Ants Clean. The English instructions and precautions provided by FastPestControl.com on a separate sheet are limited and do not meet Health Canada labelling requirements.

For more information

Consumers and health professionals wanting more information about this advisory from Health Canada can contact the Pest Management Information Service at 1‑800‑267‑6315.

Media enquiries related to this Advisory should be directed to Health Canada Media Relations at 613-957-2983.